The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1887-03-24

foreign nag, came 20 New York. RIA
number has decreased; since then, because
steamers are driving out sailing craft, and /
one voyage of q good sized steamer Is equal
to half o dozen or more OF the average
sailing vessel. Most OF the vessels leaving
here for foreign ports 90 to Great Britain,
Germany, France, italy. and The West
Indies, though many 70 to remote parts in
Asia and Africa. Most OF the vessels in
the foreign trade are owned abroad. For
several years no American craft carried
grain TO foreign nlarts. American vessels
take considerable petroleum to- various
parts ct the world, but there is this disat-
vantage in that branch of traffic, that o
vessel once given up to the petroleum tvsde.
is never thereafter suitable for any other. 9
, New York has always been the chief
seaport OF the United States, owing TO. its
mnNnificens furbaF and to 'theafast that
the Hudson. river penetrates TO q near.
range of :anountains without falis, fspids.
or other distractions to navigation. Prior.
to 1900, vessels went to Europe at no
stated time, as there were no regular
lines and they, sailed only when. they had
secured a cargo Passengers were thus
often obliged to wait many weeks for .
ship to sail. The -diseomforts of pas
sage to and from England were almost
uncomfortable. Dr., johnson, the famous
English moralist and photographer, des-
cribed q ship as worse than prison be-
cause the accommodations were equally
unsatisfactory, while there was the atldi-
tional danger Of being shipwrecked or
drowned. At the beginning OF the pres
ent century the usual size of q seaworthy
ship was about that Of the Erie canal
boat of to-day, that Is, from 100 to $50
tons. A vessel of 800 tons was considered
marine monster. The passenger on the
ocean in the early part Of the century,
moreover, ran risk unknown at the pres.
ent day, namely, the danger, Of capture
by pirates, though this evil was then
dying out. Piracy, however, was not
completely suppressed in the north Allan
tic until the second quarter Of the present
century, and the passenger on the carly
American vessels in the days, Of Adams,
jefferson and Madison might. SEQ an,
oniinous craft bearing down upon his ship,
run up tho black flag, and cuinpel the
peaceable trader to surrender. e., re; ..-.a
FIRST DAYS or STEAMERS. .,..s.s
The steamers began to come to New
York about 1S40 DR., nionysius Lard
ner, an eminent English scientist, had
demonstrated to the satisfaction Ut the
multitude the absolute impossibility Of q
steamer crossing the Atlantic, on the as
sumption that no vessel could carry coal
enough for the trip. In the first days of
the steamers 1t took about three weeks to
cross TO London; in 1850 the time was
fifteen days; by 1860 1t had been reduced
to thirteen days; now the trip Is some.
| times made in little less than seven
days. The early Collins and C,ii,nrd
steamers were from 1900 to 2, 500 tons In
size; now the steamers plying between
here and Liverpool nre from 1000 TO 1000
tons capacity, and they are twice rs long
In proportion to their width as formerly.
They are the greyhounds of the oceal,., l., e..
The days of the old buckets and clip
pers were the hslcyon times Of American
shipping. The, old time captain was an
autocrat. lie was the absolute master OF
his vessel and Of every man Oh board OF
| her, He often received a SALARY Of 81, 600
q year, which was q very handsome
enolument in those days-say from, 1880
TO 1S55-and the captilins were generally
| wealthy. The captains of the great l.iv-
erpOol passenger steamers now receive
| only g., 500 n year, and those in command
| of the German steamers only 81. 2lM. Tile
old clipper ships were the especial pride
| Of Americans. The stafIy ships, how
| ever, that once tradel with Liverpool,
Havrc, Canton and n hundred other ports
have had 10 give way 10 that wonderful
creation Of human ingenuity, the modern
steamer, and the day Is NOT fur distant
| when the sailing craft will lie stranger
to the high seas. New York Cor. Kansas
| City Times. .ss >i.srs1' -" r..-..'.s...: 3